Alan Shearer launches passionate rant after Bruno Fernandes’ “diabolical” red card, slamming VAR

Alan Shearer has launched a passionate rant slamming VAR following Bruno Fernandes’ sending-off for Manchester United against Tottenham Hotspur.

Last week, Manchester United suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur after Ange Postecoglu’s side dismantled Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford in a 3-0 victory for the visiting team.

Spurs opened the scoring early, with Brennan Johnson tapping Micky van der Ven’s cut-back past André Onana and into an open net, with Bruno Fernandes being sent off for a challenge on James Maddison just before half-time.

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Dejan Kulusevski then doubled the lead just after the second half kicked off, with Dominic Solanke then sealing proceedings with 13 minutes left to play.

Fernandes’ red card has since been overturned after it was ruled that the Portuguese international’s challenge was not as reckless as first thought. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, former Newcastle frontman Alan Shearer had some choice words to say about the officiating on the day.

It was immediately clear that the challenge Fernandes was sent off for four was not a red card offence. Even Maddison himself admitted that the decision was preposterous. Many were flabbergasted when VAR reviewed the challenge and decided that no significant error of judgment had been made on the referee’s part.

On the podcast, renowned pundit and former England goalscorer Gary Lineker asked Shearer if the Premier League would be disappointed with the messy outcome of the decision.

“I would imagine so,” he replied. “Well, they should be because it was a diabolical decision. Seriously, I get it that the referee might have had a really poor view of it and couldn’t see it, but then for the assistant referee to [not] tell him he’s made an absolute howler and that Bruno deserved a red card.

“And then for the two in the VAR room, to look at it… what is going through their heads? I can’t work it out, honestly! It’s like how the hell can you get that wrong?”

As reported by The Mirror, Lineker then suggested that an alternative system could include teams being granted a pre-determined number of appeals for onfield decisions and officials judging the moment in question independently.

However, Shearer immediately questioned this, asking Lineker, “Are you appealing to the same people that have made the decision anyway

” Those that have looked at the camera angles two or three times, and it’s the same guys that refused to send the referee to the screen because they thought it’s red. Are you appealing to these same people?”

Lineker confirmed this was what he meant, before Shearer then hit back: “There lies the problem.”

The former Premier League striker added: “I just think they should have sent him to the screen, and it would have been far easier. Send the referee to the screen when not 100 per cent certain.”

Despite the support from Shearer, Fernandes did not fair any better during his return to action, being second off for two high-boot challenges against FC Porto on Thursday evening. However, he will still be available for selection as United travel to face Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League.

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